Firefighters have yet to fully extinguish the fire at Munsur Khan Plaza in Dhaka’s Chawkbazar, 17 hours after it broke out. Smouldering goods in sixth-floor warehouses are keeping crews at the scene.
Kazi Nazmuzzaman, assistant director of the Fire Service and Civil Defence Directorate, told journalists on site after 11am on Tuesday that heat, narrow lanes, water shortages, warehouse stock and the need to cut shutter locks had made the job harder.
“There is no fire inside, but light smoke is still rising from under the goods,” he said. “If we stop the water, the heat could revive the fire.”
The fire broke out around 5pm on Monday. Ten units brought it under control at 5:20am on Tuesday, but eight more hours passed without an all-clear.
Nazmuzzaman said seven to eight warehouses on the sixth floor contained large quantities of goods that had to be removed before the Fire Service could declare the fire extinguished.
Around six units remained at the site, continuing to spray water and clear the stock, he added.
Talha Bin Zasim, an official of the Fire Service Headquarters' media cell, said they received a report of the fire at 5:04pm on Monday and began operations at 5:22pm. Three units initially joined the operation, with the number gradually increased to 10.
Crews found thick smoke and fierce heat on the sixth and seventh floors, Nazmuzzaman said. Each warehouse was shuttered, with four or five padlocks and an inner collapsible gate, all of which had to be cut in the heat before firefighting could begin.
The fire official listed peak-hour traffic, narrow Chawkbazar roads, lack of building ventilation, and dwindling water reservoirs -- which required shifting pumps between different sources -- as major hurdles during the night operation.
Describing the latest situation, Nazmuzzaman said there were no active flames inside, but smoke continued to emerge as firefighters removed water-damaged and fire-affected goods from the warehouses.
The stored items included umbrellas, cosmetics, attar and other products.
The warehouses were packed with goods, he said, and the fire could not be declared fully extinguished until they were cleared.
Asked about the extent of the damage, Nazmuzzaman said it was too early to estimate the losses. The owners would be better placed to assess the value of the damaged goods.
He also said the cause of the fire remained unknown. An investigation committee would examine the incident after firefighting operations ended. A short circuit was one possible cause because electrical wiring was present in the building, but no conclusion could be drawn before the investigation.
Nazmuzzaman said the market had not suffered as much damage as many had feared.
Mansur Khan Plaza is connected to three or four other markets, and firefighters worked to stop the flames from spreading to nearby buildings.
The sixth floor suffered the most damage, while the seventh floor was affected only slightly. Of the 12 to 14 warehouses on the sixth floor, seven or eight caught fire, while the others were damaged by water, he said.
He credited timely action by the Fire Service with protecting neighbouring buildings.
Firefighters worked in shifts because of the intense smoke and heat, with each member able to work for only 15 to 20 minutes before being replaced. The effort to prevent the fire from spreading to nearby markets had succeeded, the official said.
The Fire Service reported no deaths or other casualties from the blaze. Four firefighters, however, were injured while working in the intense smoke and heat.